Stiffening means



July 14, 1964 MAGIDSON 3,140,494

STIFFENING MEANS Filed July 31. 1961 y mmvron 25527 Mamie/v UnitedStates Patent 3,140,494 STIFFENING MEANS Herbert Magidson, 1450 CarlaRidge, Beverly Hills, Calif; Filed'July 31, 1961, Ser. No. 128,155 4Claims. (Cl. 2-264) This invention relates generally to stiffening meansand more particularly to such-means that may be used in the constructionof garments and similar articles.

For hundreds of years, women have used stiffening means in variousarticles of clothing, such as undergarments, to reinforce the garments,and to prevent their bending or rolling, or otherwise changing shape.For

many years, such stiffening means, a prime example of which was theso-called corset stay, were made of natural' or relatively simplematerials, such as whalebone. Later, spring steel strips were used, andmore recently, plastic strips have been used. However, all of thesevarious products have had disadvantages and objectionable features, anumber of which are overcome by the present invention.

It is thus a major object' of the present invention to provide animproved stiffening means of the type described.

Another object of the invention. is to provide astiffening means that isboth light in weight and generally open in construction so that thestiffening means will not add appreciably to the weight of the articleto which it is applied, and' at-thesarne time will permit a maximumcirculation of air to increase the comfort of the article such as anundergarment.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a stifiening meansthat is inexpensive and readily fabricated in quantity, so that it willbe competitive costwise with pre-' viously used stiffening means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a stiffening meansthat may be made in various sizes so that the degree of stiffness mayreadily be controlled.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide stiffeningmeans that is adaptable to automatic production techniques and machineryso that the product may be manufactured with a minimum of labor andsupervision.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description of preferred and modified formsthereof, and from the drawings illustrating those forms in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view indicating generally a preferred form ofthe completed stiffener, the' elements going to make up the stiffener,and the general method of fabrication of this preferred form ofstiffener;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view, to a larger scale, of'a completedsection of stiffener of the form shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view, to a still larger scale, taken onthe line 33 of FIGURE 2, showing. the various parts before they areclamped. together by the method shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, but showing theactual operationof clamping the partstogether as it occurs in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan'view of a stiffener in which thespacingmember is slightly differently formed to divide the area between'the twoside members into 3,146,494 Patented July 14, 1964 2. FIGURE 2, showingan optional method of construction of such a stiffener;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of thestiffener shown'inFIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of a stiffener that has been edge-bent.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1 thereof, thestiffener 10 of the present invention is formed in a manner generallyresembling that of a girder or similar construction element. Thus, thestiffener 10 has longitudinally extending side members 11 and 12 thatare held in spaced relationship by a spacing member 13. Preferably, thespacing member 13 takes the form of a zig-zag shaped wire or filarmember that, with the side members 11 and 12, forms a series oftriangles in the completed stifiener to increase the rigidity of theassembly. It will be recognized that the shape of the spacing member 13may be varied, as indicated, in FIG- URES 5 and 6, but the generallytriangular shape, shown in FIGURES l and 2 is preferred.

The side members 11 and 12 may take different forms, as will be seenhereinafter, andthe spacing member 13 may likewise take different forms.Additionally, the method of connecting the various elements to eachother may be varied, various forms having their advantages, but in thepreferred form, the side members 11 and 12 take the formof channelmembers 'whose cross-sectional form is best seen in FIGURE 3.

As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the depth of the channel 12'should beapproximately equal to the diameter of the wire forming the spacingmember 13 so that the spacer maybe properly held to the side members 11and 12. It will be appreciated that the channel-shaped members Hand 12may be formed by bending a strip of lightweight sheet rnetaL'byextruding the desired shape, or by any other suitable means. Theproduction of such channel members presents no problem, and thedimensions of such members may be held to very close tolerances.Similarly, the diameter of the wire forming the spacing member 13 maylikewise be held to very close tolerances. Under these conditions, it isa very simple matter to insure that the parts all fit together in themanner intended.

It will be appreciated that the wire forming the zigzag spacing member13 is essentially conventional wire which is furnished on' a reel orspool. Prior to its combination with the side members Hand 12, the plainwire must be given the zig-zag shape shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, and thiscan easily be done by conventional machines that are readily available.Essentially, these machines bend the wire back and forth between twolaterally displaced sets of pins or fingers, forming the desired zigzagshape, and the'dimensions of the finished zig-zag spacing member 13. canbeheld to very close dimensional limits. It will be appreciated, ofcourse, that the wire used to formthe spacing member 13 is preferably ofthe resilient material, though it usually need not be of such resilienceor springiness as is usually achieved by heat-treating a wire after itis formed.

After the wire forming the spacer 13 is given its zig-zag shape, .itbecomes essentially a strip of' material, and is then fed between theside members 11 and 12, which are correspondingly fed at the same rate,with their open sides toward each other. The spacingmember 13 is thusfed between the side members and the bights of the spacing member fitwithin the channel sections, as indicated in FIGURES 1 through 4. Itwill be understood, of course, that the side members 11 and 12 and thespacing member 13 may be continuously fed from their respective supplyreels or forming equipment, so that the stiffening member 10 emerges asa continuous strip or ribbon.

To provide the necessary stiffness, and to prevent the side members 11and 12 from separating from the spacing member 13, it is necessary toanchor the side members to the spacing member. In the form shown in FIG-URES 1 through 4, this is most conveniently done by bending the arms ofthe channel sections 11 and 12 around the wire forming the spacingmember 13. Thus, as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the wire forming thespacing member 13 fits snugly into one of the channel sections, such asside member 12, the arms of the channel section originally beingsubstantially parallel, as shown in FIGURE 3. However, after the sidesections 11 and 12 and spacing member 13 are all properly placedtogether, appropriately shaped jaws or dies 14- and 15 engage theopposite sides of the channel section 12 and bend the edges of the sidesaround the bight of the spacing member 13, as indicated in FIGURE 4. Thespacer 13 is thus anchored to the side member 12, and a similar clampingor crimping operation is performed at each bight of the spacing member13 that fits within the channel or side member 11.

The crimping action not only holds the spacing member 13 to the sidemembers 11 and 12, but also acts to prevent any longitudinal shifting ofthese members with respect to each other. As a result, a stiff butlightweight stiffening means is provided that is very resistant tobending in its plane, but which is flexible in a direction perpendicularto that plane. This, it will be recognized, is one of thecharacteristics of so-called boning or similar stiffening means.

The continuous strip of stiffener is cut into desired lengths, and theends of the cut length are protected by end pieces or caps 16 and 17.These end pieces may be formed of any suitable plastic or metal, andserve the purpose of making it easier to insert the stiffener 10 into apocket that has been provided for it, as well as preventing therelatively sharp edges of the stiffener from wearing through theadjacent fabric. For these reasons, the end caps 16 and 17 arepreferably made smooth and rounded, and of only slightly larger sizethan the stiffener 19 itself.

The stiffener 10, because of its flexibility in a directionperpendicular to its plane, is capable of conforming smoothly and easilyto the contours of the body. Its stiffness or rigidity in its own planemakes it very satisfactory for supporting or stiffening in thatdirection. However, with proper equipment, it is possible to bend thestiffener 10 in its own plane so that it then has a curved shape, and inthis new, curved, shape it will still retain its stiffness. Such astiffner 10a is shown in FIGURE 9.

A strip of material that is bent in its own plane is said to beedge-bent, and one use for an edge-bent stiffener 10a is in themanufacture of brassieres, and particularly strapless brassieres, wherea frame, including one or more edge-bent stiffeners 10a, must beflexible enough in a direction perpendicular to the plane of thestiffener to conform to the shape of the body, and must be sufficientlystiff in the plane of the stiffener to resist tension or other forcestending to straighten the curved section as the brassiere is tightenedabout the body. While it may sometimes be preferable to bend the sidemembers 11 and 12 and the spacer member 13 before joining all threemembers, more often it is preferable to form the stiffener 10a as astraight ribbon, and then edge-bend the ribbon to the desired shape. Inthis way, a stiffener having a nonuniform curvature may more easily beproduced.

In the process of edge-bending, the strip 10a is held fiat, and is bentaround a form of a shape and size to provide the desired final shape,making due allowance for the spring back of the form 10a when it isreleased. In bending the stiffener 10a, the inner side member, forexample 11, will normally not be compressed or shortened, but willusually remain the same length or be slightly lengthened. The outer sidemember, for example 12, will be considerably lengthened, depending uponthe degree of curvature and the width of the stiffener 10a, and thestiffening section 13 will be slightly deformed so that the triangularsections whose apices are on the inner side will be wider than thosetriangles whose apices are on the outer edge. The resulting edge-bentform, While differing in appearance from the straight stiffener 10, willnevertheless be immediately recognized as being closely related to thestraight form, and the same benefits of high strength and light weightwill be obtained.

In FIGURES 7 and 8, there is illustrated an alternate form ofconstruction in which the side members, instead of being channelsections such as the sections 11 and 12 previously described, are formedof solid material such as square or round wires. Since the spacingmember 13, which may be the same as that shown in the first form, cannotfit within the side member 21 and 22, the three elements are caused toadhere by other means, such as by welding, soldering, or by means ofhigh strength adhesives. Welding may cause a change in the stiffnesscharacteristics of the metal, which may require further heat treatment.However, this is not necessarily required, but depends upon theparticular wire used, and its condition. Soldering is less likely tocause a change in the characteristics of the metal, and of course, theadhesive is least likely. By suitable production equipment, the sidemembers 21 and 22 may be held to the stiffener member 13 in a continuousmanufacturing process that welds, solders, or cements the three elementstogether. Such equipment in and of itself forms no part of the presentinvention, except as its function may be utilized in achieving thedescribed results. The finished stiffener is provided with end pieces orcaps 16 and 17, as the previously described form is, and the stiffeneris used in the same manner. It is likewise possible, of course, to bendthe welded, soldered, or cemented form of stiffener into edge-bentshapes, as the preferred form is.

It will be appreciated that if desired, the spacing member 13 may beheld to the channel-shaped side members 11 and 12 by adhering means,such as welding, soldering, or cementing, instead of, or in addition tothe crimping of the side members as previously described. The cementingprocess may take use of any of a number of adhesives and cementseffective to join metal to metal.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there have been provided a newand improved stiffener fully capable of achieving the objects andsecuring the advantages heretofore set forth. While there have beenshown and described preferred and optional forms of the device, theinvention is not to be limited to the particular form or arrangement ofparts herein described and shown, except as limited by the claims.

I claim:

1. An apparel garment stiffener which includes: a pair of longitudinallyextending, laterally spaced, sheet metal side members; a single,generally longitudinally extending spacing member having a substantiallyzig-zag shape, contacting the separate side members alternately; meansfor permanently anchoring said side members and said spacing membertogether against relative movement where said spacing member contactssaid side members; and smooth end surfaces on the stiffener to lessenwear of garment fabric and facilitate insertion of the stiffener into afabric pocket.

2. An apparel garment stiffener which includes: a pair of longitudinallyextending, laterally spaced channelshaped side members disposed With thechannel openings facing each other; a spacing member between said sidemembers, said spacing member having a substantially zig-zag shape withthe bights thereof fitting into the open channels of said side members;means for anchoring said side members and said spacing member togetheragainst relative movement Where said spacing member contacts said sidemembers; and smooth end surfaces on the stiffener to lessen wear ofgarment fabric and facilitate insertion of the stiffener into a fabricpocket.

3. An apparel garment stiffener which includes: a pair of longitudinallyextending, laterally spaced, channelshaped side members disposed withthe channel openings facing each other; a spacing member between saidside members, said spacing member having a substantially zigzag shapewith the bights thereof fitting into the open channels of said sidemembers; means forming a part of said channel-shaped side members andengaging the inner surface of each bight to anchor said side members andsaid spacing member together against relative movement thereat; andsmooth end surfaces on the stiffener to lessen Wear of garment fabricand facilitate insertion of the stiffener into a fabric pocket.

4. An apparel garment stiffener which includes: a pair ofself-supporting longitudinally extending, laterally spaced side members;a single, generally longitudinally extending spacing member ofsubstantially zig-zag shape having its bights contacting the separateside members alternately; means for permanently anchoring the bights ofsaid spacing member to said side members to prevent relative movementtherebetween at their points of engagement; and smooth end surfaces onthe stiffener to lessen Wear of garment fabric and facilitate insertionof the stiffener into a fabric pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS954,900 Spragiotti Apr. 12, 1910 1,106,477 Schuler Aug. 11, 19141,231,089 Stebbins et a1 June 26, 1917 1,842,612 Kahn Jan. 26, 19322,089,023 Hahn Aug. 3, 1937 2,112,480 Coddington Mar. 29, 1938 2,300,181Spaight Oct. 27, 1942 2,622,272 Macomber Dec. 15, 1953 2,666,202 OngleyJan. 19, 1954 2,710,967 Bohm June 21, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 511,588France Dec. 29, 1920

1. AN APPAREL GARMENT STIFFENER WHICH INCLUDES: A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING, LATERALLY SPACED, SHEET METAL SIDE MEMBERS; A SINGLE,GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SPACING MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLYZIG-ZIG SHAPE, CONTACTING THE SEPARATE SIDE MEMBERS ALTERNATELY; MEANSFOR PERMANENTLY ANCHORING SAID SIDE MEMBERS AND SAID SPACING MEMBERTOGETHER AGAINST RELATIVE MOVEMENT WHERE SAID SPACING MEMBER CONTACTSSAID SIDE MEMBERS; AND SMOOTH END SURFACES ON THE STIFFENER TO LESSENWEAR OF GARMENT FABRIC AND FACILITATE INSERTION OF THE STIFFENER INTO AFABRIC POCKET.